


Fairy Tail Angst Week Entries

by soprana



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fairy Tail Angst Week, Lovely Bones AU, Songfic, characters as animals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 03:00:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19076128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soprana/pseuds/soprana
Summary: All angst week entries in no particular order.





	1. Best Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Puppy!Natsu Angst Week Grab-n-Sob  
> Warnings: Animal abandonment  
> 2015

The occasional bump of the tires over the abandoned road jostled the mutt, black nails scraping along the rusty and scratched metal of the truck bed. After hours of riding in the back of the pickup truck, the dog had long since gotten over the joy of the wind through his floppy ears and the excitement of a new adventure.

It wasn’t often that his best friend took him out anymore. He was just too busy with his strange alpha dog work. But, no matter, he was still loved. They still were best buds and nothing would ever change that!

With a happy snort, the dog peered over the edge of the bed, admiring the rolling hills with nothing but wilderness in sight. Oh, the new  _smells_! His best friend must have obviously planned a long and tiring play date for them! Just two male mutts, rolling around in the great outdoors.

What a great life!

The gears of the tires whined as the vehicle began to slow, and the dog just could not contain his excitement. It was time to play!

_Time to play. Time to play. Time to play!_

It was all he could handle to contain the urge to leap from the bed once the truck stopped on the side of the road. Front paws pulled at the edge of the truck bed, tail wagging as hard as he could manage. When his best friend emerged from the door of the cab, the sun caught on the red hair like one of those new squeaky toys he used to get when he was a pup.

Oh, how he loved this guy! Always feeding him extra scraps under the table and wrestling with him in the house. He supposed his life could have been harder, being the runt of his litter. But then, his best friend adopted him from the pound, giving him a name. It was a great name!

Natsu.

Igneel was what his best friend was known as by the other two legged creatures, but Natsu never could call it out.

Somehow normal dogs and the dogs that walked on two legs had a speech and communication problem. That didn’t matter to him at all! Igneel was still great!

With a smile, the man opened the tailgate with a call of ‘Natsu’, and the rose colored dog tore out of the bed. Paws hitting the gravel harshly, he took off in a sprint, circling the truck and leaping up to paw at his best friend. What great activity would they do today!?

There was finding birds, digging holes, and even naps! Naps were the best because Igneel would rest his head on Natsu’s side and they would nap together under the great round light in the sky.

With Igneel, everything was fun.

A whistle had Natsu whirling around and plopping to sit before the man he so often saw as his alpha figure, mouth open and slobbery tongue lolling out in pure elation.

With a sigh, Igneel knelt down and fiddled with the collar on Natsu’s neck, thumbing over the name printed in the leather. “You’re such a good boy.” Igneel muttered with a huff of amusement when Natsu licked at his palm.

Natsu, however, was completely and utterly entranced with the blue squeaky toy that his best friend pulled from behind his back. Ears perked and jaw snapped shut, dark eyes wide and ready as he observed the form of a blue cat with a happy curve of whiskers.

_A new toy!_

With a wiggle of the item to taunt the canine, Igneel tossed it across the asphalt of the road, the toy bouncing along the weeds that grew from the cracks. Instantly, Natsu tore after it, snatching it up with powerful maws. Instead of returning it, the mutt darted around the truck playing a new game of keep away. 

Fetch was more of a mutual thing for the pair. Natsu fetched and Natsu played until Igneel whistled for him to bring it back.

Moments later, that whistle came, and the rose colored canine trotted up to his best friend with a lazy wag of his tail. Giving a large tug, Igneel took the toy back, squeaking it to get his dog fired up again.

When he threw it, it soared over the ditch on the side of the road, bouncing into the tall grass. Natsu didn’t wait, bounding after the toy with a yip of young delight.

It took a while to sniff it out, but when Natsu found it among the roots and mud of the field, he felt such pride in his hunting and tracking skills. With a squeeze and a wriggle of joy at the squeak, the mutt began to roll around in the grass, waiting for the whistle to call him back.

It never came.

Blinking and sneezing out dirt from his muzzle, Natsu rose and shook his hide free of grime, noting something was off ever since Igneel touched his collar. Even stranger…that he never whistled.

With a startled huff, the canine realized that meant only one thing:

Igneel was eating snacks when he was out playing!

Claws tearing at the dirt, the mutt exploded from the grass and scrambled up the ditch wall, already scenting what kind of jerky Igneel was daring to hide from him.

When he arrived on the road, he paused in surprise, the tail stilling its motion. The old, beat up green truck was gone and with it, Igneel.

All around him, the wind traveled through the treetops, birds chirping as the shadows wavered. Clouds began to grow, stealing the sunlight, but Natsu hardly cared. He trotted to the center of the road and sat, sniffing at the familiar scent of exhaust and tobacco residue.

Igneel obviously forgot the snacks and went to go get them.

With a sigh, Natsu sat ready and waiting, the blue cat toy still in his maw. Ears were perked, listening and waiting for the sound of the greasy engine he had come to memorize.

Igneel would be right back with some tasty treats and a good story to tell: not that Natsu would understand a word but the man would tell him anyway.

The red haired man was cool like that.

So, he waited in the center of that old road, listening to the scuffles of wildlife around him. Whining and shifting at the sight of a chipmunk so careless in its foraging, Natsu licked his maw before snorting and looking back to the horizon. No, he would not chase anything until Igneel got back.

Only, the clouds became darker, eating the sun completely.

Dropping the toy, Natsu placed one paw on it, listening to the squeak but not feeling the same joy. Igneel always made it squeak louder and higher.

Lifting one hind leg, Natsu scratched at the itch under his collar, noting the silent movement of the leather. The metal tags were missing.

Curious, Natsu pondered as he returned to his proper sitting place, tilting his head up at the low sound of thunder. If he had no tags, how would the other two legged creatures know where his den was?

…Ah! Igneel was getting them polished! That was it!

With a lazy grin and tongue lolling out of his jaw, Natsu gave one wag of his tail before returning to his loyal waiting. Such a great best friend, Igneel was. Always taking care of him from the very beginning.

Even if he was lonely now, they could play together once Igneel came back.

Once Igneel came driving back over that far away hill.

Above him, it began to rain, soaking his fur down to the skin.

Still, Natsu waited.

After all, a man was nothing without man’s best friend.


	2. New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The continuation of 'Best Friends" because at the time, it was a punch in the back of the head lol.  
> Interpret as you will. Fluff or soft angst  
> 2015

He walked.

The asphalt was incredibly hard on the pads of his paws but he kept walking. He passed every puddle, pothole, and avoided digging in the litter that decorated the sides. There was only the sound of his nails on the road, the familiar jingle of tags missing from his collar, the calm of the forest, and the ever empty presence of loneliness.

The blue cat toy rested in his maw, the only companion for this trip. It was covered with grime and slobber, having traveled with him since the beginning. The day he was lost.

He walked on, ignoring every animal disturbance unless hunger spoke to his more feral mind. He had dined on a few unfortunate squirrels and something that he thought was a dead skunk but it tasted funny.

He rolled in a few things he couldn’t identify, but nothing stopped him from walking. He had to get closer to wherever Igneel was. His best friends obviously had gotten trapped somewhere and needed to be found.

So, Natsu would walk until he found Igneel.

So many days had passed, nights too. The pink furred canine refused to move from the field he last saw his two legged friend. After all the critters he hunted had moved on, instinct spurred the mutt to migrate too. Down the lonely road he walked.

He walked…

      He walked…

           He continued to walk.

It became a mission, his life mission. Find Igneel. Sniff him out and find him. Find Igneel and fix whatever he had done wrong. Anything was better than understanding that his best friend abandoned him, forgot him, left him in the wild.

Man’s best friend was loyal, man’s best friend never thought the worst of his alpha, but Natsu could not help but wonder why.

Why?

A lone bark awoke his alertness, filling his body with the unbearable urge to run, run fast. Everything came to a grinding halt as his instincts kicked into overdrive, taking over and controlling every muscle.

He ran.

The asphalt was incredibly hard on the pads of his paws but he kept sprinting. He passed every puddle, pothole, and avoided digging in the litter that decorated the sides. There was only the sound of his nails on the road, the huffs between his lips, the blur that was the forest, and the ever exciting presence of hope.

He ran…

        He ran…

and didn’t slow at the sight that came around the bend in the road.

A farm, spread out between two hills, with so much fence and space. The sun shone on it like a spotlight, calling him home like a dinner bell.

Finally, he left the road, paws painfully colliding with gravel and dirt as he dashed down the driveway, locked on the last known location of the bark. The only calls of his kind that he could remember was that of his kin and that annoying purse dog in the apartment next door. Well, Igneel said it was annoying, but to Natsu it was just a repeat of a single word: Hungry.

A little yellow Volkswagen bug passed his vision, then a big black truck that was much nicer than Igneel’s. That hardly mattered, because Natsu saw the first two legged since his exile.

He was a little old, rather short too, but Natsu hardly cared. The mutt ran to him, tail wagging because finally he had found  _someone_. The startled eyes and stagger didn’t affect his mirth, front paws reaching up as he tried to knock the man over to lick at his face.

“Whoa, where’d you come from, pup?” The man chuckled, hands pushing Natsu down to finally sit. Still, his tail wagged a mile a minute, thin restraint and proper training keeping him obedient. He clenched on the cat toy, letting it give a pathetic squeak.

Tilting his head of white hair, the man inspected the dirty leather collar, and the name burned on it. “Natsu? Hmm, no tags either…” He mused, noting how the dog sat as if it had been trained. “I really hope nobody just abandoned you in the mountains. Seems like it’s the popular trend.”

When the dog only stared back in excitement and curiosity, the old man sighed and knelt before the canine. With a scratch behind floppy ears, he said, “Well, Natsu—Welcome to Fairy Tail Farm, home to all sorts of animals. I am Makarov, the farmer.”

Natsu did not reply, only pausing his tail for a moment before dropping his toy at the man’s feet expectantly. It was rewarded when the man laughed and ruffled the top of his head as he plucked the item up with no hesitation. “Now, you look like some sort of weird German Shepard mix, but I think you’ll fit right in our family.” With a final pat, Makarov stood and beckoned Natsu to follow.

He followed.

He trotted alongside his new two legged friend, taking in the sights as the farmer pointed out things he hardly understood.

“There is our three sheep: Mira, Elfman, and Lisanna. Our ducks and hens: Kinana, Droy, Jet, and Evergreen. Over yonder is the horses: Erza, Jellal and Cobra. Oh, can’t forget our cows: Gajeel, Levy and Doranbolt. We got pigs called Jose and Hades and the goats, Juvia and Gray. Last but not least is-”

That bark sounded again, sounding much more light and…not male.

From within the barn depths, a golden ray of fur appeared, in hot pursuit of some pigeons that frantically attempted to fly away. A border collie, with woven gold fur and bright brown eyes, a toothy grin on her maw as she gave chase.

“-and Lucy, our friendly neighborhood lass. Came as a stray, just like you but, her tags rusted off, so I guess I had no choice but to keep her.” He trailed off at the sight of the new dog, struggling with the loyalty to accompany his new two legged bud. His paws quivered with the urge to frolic, to play with this new friend of his kind.

“I know I’m boring but please, young love can be too sweet on my old eyes.” Knowing the mutt didn’t understand, the farmer handed the cat toy back, letting Natsu take it in his mouth with a squeak. “Go.”

That word was understood, for Natsu gave an excited yip that alerted Lucy to pause in her chase, the mutt dashing forward to meet his new friend. Her tail wagged, her body moving into a playful crouch as she barked a greeting, to which he answered with a squeak of his toy.

With one last taunting squeak of his toy, he blew past her, letting her chase him instead. Weaving through the fence posts and legs of many animals, the two played together. 

A single blue cat toy shared between them, they took on a new adventure through the farm of Fairy Tail, two strays: home at last.


	3. Coming Disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst Week Bonus Prompt: Ever After/Perfect Disaster 2015  
> Gajevy AU  
> “Never more to be alone”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gajeel Redfox and Levy McGarden.  
> Major Character Death.  
> Song fic.  
> The Dixie Chicks

The air smelled of burning diesel fuel and city grime. He found it surprising since the small little town of Magnolia was only a tad bit larger than his hometown of Balsam. Yet, the air reeked like the large city of Crocus.

Maybe it was because of the flow of buses to every nearby base had increased since the draft.

Gajeel loathed the draft, like every other man unlucky enough to be drawn. His pals, Salamander and Popsicle already shipped out, sending letters home to their girly friends.

He had none. Nobody would read his letters.

With a tired sigh, the man dressed in green camouflage and boots tromped over to a small little cafe that sat right on the same corner that his bus would stop at. It was cutesy, nothing like the slop diners littered around the dirt roads of his hometown. The glass windows were shined to perfection, a warm and homey glow from the lights and the atmosphere of the little shop.

A small gift before he would be drenched in boot camp and deployment.

He took his time entering and selecting a seat, a small two seat booth in the corner of the establishment. There, the warm glow did not invade his space, leaving him to sulk in the shadows. Just a small coffee, and then back to the bus stop.

“Hi! Welcome to 8 Island Cafe! My name is Levy and what can I get for you?” A chirpy voice greeted from the table end.

Dark eyes glanced up, taking in the small blue haired waitress with a bow headband in her hair. The little barista outfit was cute, he had to admit, given her petite size and presence. Though, her hazel eyes were bright and warm. Just like this cafe…and just like the home he left behind.

Suddenly Gajeel didn’t feel all fearsome and brave anymore.

 _Two days past eighteen_  
He was waiting for the bus in his army green  
Sat down in a booth in a cafe there  
Gave his order to a girl with a bow in her hair

She smiled gently, not at all rushed or pressed for time. He was her only table, and judging by his glances outside, he didn’t want to stay long. His black hair was tied in a ponytail, displaying his impressive piercings and jaw. A mystery, this man was. A puzzle that Levy desired to inspect and solve to her best ability.

“Sit down for a bit. I’m not really…you know.” He grunted awkwardly, looking away from her gaze with a small coloration of his cheeks. His fingers tapped the glossy table nervously, the sugar packets becoming extremely interesting.

Levy giggled, slipping her notepad back into her apron. “Well, I’m off in an hour. Let me grab you something to eat and drink and we can take a walk. Okay?”

As if he expected her to just scoff and leave him alone, his head snapped up to look at her with a slack jaw. The tapping stopped, and his throat moved as he took a large gulp of air. “Erm, yeah. Sounds good.” He muttered softly, not looking away as she smiled and turned to walk to the kitchen, the skirt swaying with her movements.

 _He’s a little shy so she give him a smile_  
So he said would you mind sittin’ down for a while  
And talking to me, I’m feeling a little low  
She said I’m off in an hour and I know where we can go  
  


She kept by his side, leaving the cafe and walking down the nearby streets. The wind picked up harshly as the pair emerged by the docks, keeping an easy pace to the local fishing pier. Her small figure was shielded from the wind by his hulking form.

Despite himself, Gajeel chuckled. “Stay by my side, shrimp. Hate to lose ya to the wind.”

The blue haired woman pinned him with a burning glare that had him laughing deep from within his belly, warm buzzing fizzing through his veins. What ever this feeling was, the man couldn’t deny it felt right. It felt  _nice._

Like Levy once did when her father brought her to the same pier, she took her spot next to Gajeel, sandal clad feet dangling over the edge next to polished leather boots. The woman leaned back, hands sprawling out on the oak planks as she let the wind breeze past her bangs.

The man watched her for a moment before sighing, grumpily scowling and muttering quickly. “I bet ya got a pansy ass boyfriend, but I don’t give a shit. I’m going to send letters to you when…I’m away.”

He didn’t ask and Levy only giggled with a blush as his large and warm hand rested on one of hers. “Then, you’ll need my address and name, yeah?” She replied easily with a kind smile, staring back at him with acceptance and…something more.

 _So they went down and they sat on the pier_  
He said I bet you got a boyfriend but I don’t care  
I got no one to send a letter to  
Would you mind if I sent one back here to you

_**I cried** _

_**Never gonna hold the hand of another guy** _

 

Levy managed to visit Gajeel once, right before he was shipped out to war. That weekend would forever live in her heart and mind. Despite his gruff exterior, his heart was warm and tender.

The woman loved his smile the most, however.

The letters flowed before his deployment, and his way of regarding her was callous and teasing. She expected no less from the loose screw.

That weekend, however, meant the world to her. It was then that he opened his heart a little, showing her the pearl in the smelly and mean looking oyster.

He kissed her too.

Still, all good things had to come to an end, and Levy had to return to Magnolia while he had to prepare for active duty. She managed to leave him with one favor…a photograph of her, to remember her when he was away.

Levy assumed his tongue tied grumble was a thanks.  
  


 _So the letters came from an army camp_  
In California then Vietnam  
And he told her of his heart  
It might be love and all of the things he was so scared of

She would never know how often he looked at her picture, the faded ink still displaying the curve of her lips and the shine in her eyes. Gajeel absolutely  _refused_ to mention it. That shrimp was already far too smart for her own good.

Plus, he didn’t want to freak her out or anything. Staring at someone’s picture sounded creepy, even if he saw every other man do the same.

Levy…she was special. That was why her picture stayed in his left breast pocket and only saw the light of day when he needed reminding or was writing a letter.

Gajeel never wanted to forget that day he met her, the calm waves against the vengeful breeze. The smell of salt and the tangles in her blue locks. No, after facing bombing after bombing, digging through grease and mud, and watching fellow comrades fall only strengthened his resolve to live.

To see her again.

 _He said when it’s getting kinda rough over here_  
I think of that day sittin’ down at the pier  
And I close my eyes and see your pretty smile  
Don’t worry but I won’t be able to write for a while

 

**Too young for him they told her** **  
** **Waitin’ for the love of a travelin’ soldier**   
  


The local football game was as lively as ever, with kettle corn stands and cacophonous music and spirit from the band and cheerleaders. It was nearing half-time, but tonight was different from the rest.

Tonight, instead of a marching band show, there would be an announcement from the Mayor of Magnolia regarding the war.

Levy prayed it was the order to bring home the soldiers. Gajeel had not written in two months, and she felt worried despite having full confidence in him. She told him so in her last letter.

She also wrote that she loved him. Her family called her crazy, saying that he was too old for her. Her friends here, however, understood. Lucy, Juvia, and herself knew better than anyone else.

The halftime buzzer rang, and every football player moved to the benches and sat, joining the many eyes that watched the Mayor proudly march onto the mushy field with shined shoes. Old man Makarov was still strong as ever, Levy noted with a sigh. His white hair looked as if it could be blown away by the wind, yet the man was nearly made of steel.

Kind of like another man she knew.

He cleared his throat, calmly stepping up onto the wooden crate that an opposing team player set out, fishing a microphone from the depths of his coat. The speakers chimed as he tested the frequency, his voice harder than ever.

All of a sudden, Levy didn’t want to hear what he had to say.

With one wide eyed look between the shivering Juvia by the water stand and a tense as stone Lucy, all three women listened as Makarov began to speak, a dead tone to his voice.

“Tonight is not just a night for school spirit, Fairy Tail Fairies. As you all are aware, there has been a war. Many of your fathers, uncles, and brothers have been deployed into the front lines to serve and protect Fiore. And here, we honor them: in life and in death.” With a shaking hand, Makarov pulled a stapled stack of paper from his coat now, and the silence was brittle as thin glass.

“Please join me in remembering our local fallen.”

 _One Friday night at a football game_  
The Lord’s Prayer said and the anthem sang  
A man said folks would you bow your head  
For the list of local Vietnam dead

 

Levy listened with suspended terror and gut destroying anxiety. The Mayor started with last names beginning with ‘A’, and there had been many.

Each name was read with steady firmness, but so many in the bleachers and the crowd began to break. Mothers shed tears while father’s grit their jaws. Sisters stared out in disbelief while too young sons had courageousness waver.

War was a terrible, unforgiving beast with insatiable hunger.

Makarov moved to the last names that begun with 'B’, and the process started all over again.

Once he reached the last names starting with ’D’, Levy could see Lucy wringing her pom-poms into near uselessness. Many members of her squad fixed her with concerned stares, understanding barely scraping the surface.

Lucy had told Levy about how this man, Natsu Dragneel, had proposed just before he deployed. The young Heartfilia woman accepted, but hesitated to tell her father. The blonde heiress was praying not to hear her betrothed’s name.

“Rick Draftford. Nathaniel Droner-”

Lucy relaxed, tears of relief pooling in her eyes. The frilly pom-poms fell from her grasp as she covered her face, sobbing.

Makarov moved to 'E’ and then to 'F’.

Juvia now was sweating and ignoring any request for beverages. Like the rest of them, they listened closely.

“Wendell Fortune, Garret Fullhouse-”

If Lucy’s tears were from relief, Juvia’s were from elation. From afar, she was patting her heart and leaning over, no doubt ill from worrying so much.

With that, Levy waited, ignoring the gazes from Lucy and Juvia.

Until the M’s came around.

Levy waited, quivering after each name. Gajeel’s face played in her memory. His laugh echoed around her while she imagined his taste from their first and only kiss. The touches of his rough fingers still were burned into her memory, the heat from his caress not dulled after months of nothing but written words to share.

Levy could still remember the smell of his cologne that had lingered on the jacket he lent her for the walk back to the bus stop.

“-Gajeel Redfox-”

There was a buzzing in her ears, the foreign feeling of getting caught between real and fantasy. But, somehow, Levy knew she had not heard wrong.

Gajeel Redfox…her fallen soldier.

 _Crying all alone under the stands_  
Was the piccolo player in the marching band  
And one name read and nobody really cared  
But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair

 

**Our love will never end** __**  
** **Waitin’ for the soldier to come back again**   
  


It wasn’t real until they gave her a small box of his things a few weeks later. The blue haired woman refused to wrap her head around it or accept it. Her friends gave her space, and Levy was capable of avoiding the truth.

Until she opened the box.

There rested his dog tags with a medal of honor for something Levy couldn’t bother to recall. Beneath that was something far more distracting.

A sealed envelope with her name on it.

An unsent letter, finally making it to her.

Only then, staring at his messy scrawl, did Levy begin to crack.

 

**Never more to be alone when the letter says  
A soldier’s coming home**


	4. Truth in the Bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst Week Bonus Day #2 Skin and Bones 2015  
> “Time moved on without me and I was but a phantom of a memory.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Death, Murder, Rape, Gore, Lovely Bones AU

The time given for me to watch my family was different than the time I spent in the great white woods of eternal peace. I could feel the flow of time like a steady creek washing cold water over my skin.

It started out odd, watching everyone age and move on. It hurt, if possible, to see how much I would never get to experience.

I never really thirsted to be back at my family’s side until that one day…where everything came back to me like a horrid nightmare that I had ran from for so long.

My little sister, Askua, was now fifteen and growing fast. How her hair was long and shiny in the summer sun, Mom still not letting her wear two piece bikini’s just yet. But, that did not stop the young girl from washing the old Camaro that would someday be hers, or so Gajeel promised.

Plus, she would be getting allowance money for washing the car but, upon closer inspection, the chore may cost more than a few dollar bills.

Over the short hedge, wearing old overalls and a ratty white T-shirt, stood Hades, watching her with a sick smile on his lips.

Emotions boiled up inside of me, hooking a noose of terror around my heart. He was older now than when I last saw him, in that dark bunker where he tore at my innocence and tortured my soul.

He was clean of my blood, splattered when he chopped up what was left of me and locked it in a safe, staining his basement floor red.

Hades wore the same, lustful look as he stared at my sister, the same conniving glance that thirsted to find a private place to indulge in his sicker fantasy. The thrill of killing me had faded when he disposed of the safe, no buried beneath feet of trash and other landfill items.

My body will never be found so, he knew exactly how to hide Askua’s.

_You sick man. Leave my sister alone! You murdered me. Was that not enough?!_

“Oh, Mr. Hades.” Askua chirped brightly, skipping around the Camaro with suds still in her hair and clinging to her arms. “What are you doing here?”

The man smiled slowly, eyes roving her young body like a starving dog about to turn feral. “I was just admiring the beautiful views of the day. Tell me, how are you?” The tone he used was sickly sweet, like tempting a deer closer before making the final attack. Asuka, sweet Asuka, was just as naive as I was.

_Stop it! Leave her alone! Don’t touch her! Don’t do what you did to me!_

A new figure appeared in the shadows behind the Camaro, dark onyx eyes cautiously watching the exchange as he moved into sight.

“Askua? Mom wants you inside.” Natsu said stiffly, watching the nervous recoil of their neighbor.

With a hum of confusion, my sister turned to leave, giving Mr. Hades a bright and friendly smile. “Bye!” She bid before vanishing into the house, leaving the two men to stare at each other.

_He killed me, Big Brother! He killed me after invading my body and hurting me so much! Make him hurt, Natsu! He’s the one who did this!_

“She has grown up so much.” Hades remarked, not able to contain the quiver of desire in his tone. Natsu wrinkled his nose, not really understanding why that sentence made him uncomfortable.

“Yeah, looks more like Wendy, every day.” The pink haired man trailed off at the bitter memory. “Getting close to the same age as Wendy was.”

Hades smirked at the name, my name, looking more contempt with himself. “A true shame. I hope nothing happens to little Asuka. What happened to Wendy was so shocking…and they never found the body.”

That was the mistake.

Hades was a mad man, having kidnapped and murdered other little girls before getting me. He kept returning to the source, like a man starved. He felt only pride in his little world…and the hint of pride gave him away.

_He killed me! He chopped me up and buried me in a landfill! He took me away! He’ll take Asuka away! Stop him! It was him!_

Natsu’s eyes widened, lips parting in shock before pure rage covered his features like a summer rain storm. Hades noticed, and had the clarity to look afraid.

“…It…It was you…you  _dirty little bastard!_ ” He roared, charging towards the man. “What did you do to Wendy?!” With a stumble, Hades fled down the street, getting away when Natsu stopped at the hedge, waving his fist in the air as he screamed. “If I  _ever_  see you near Asuka again,  _I’ll kill you!_ ”

That night, Hades fled town. The police came up empty when searching his house but they found the stains on the basement floor and the ribbon that had been in my hair that fateful night: among other items of his previous victims.

The police told my family that they confirmed my killer, but he had moved my body somewhere where they most likely would never find it. Judging by the amount of dark on the concrete, they informed my mother and father that it was probably for the best. There would have not been much of me to bury.

Hades was now a registered sex offender and serial killer as well as a pedophile. Hopefully he could be brought to justice. They found his journals documenting all of his work…and everything he did to me that night.

I thought my family was done crying over me but…I was wrong. The lovely bones always told a story: happy or sad. I was a little girl, barely seventeen, when my life was stolen.

My family would live on. I would remain stuck in time on a broken hour hand. Forever watching the world turn without me in it.


	5. Almost Theirs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst Week Prompt #1: Scars/Bruises 2015  
> “Wouldn’t that suck? …I’m going to write that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gorey? Gorey.

“Natsu…I love you.”

Instead of blushing or stuttering or even blatantly squawking from embarrassment, the pink haired man stared pensively outside the mouth of the cave, tense and ready.

“I know, Luce.” He murmured softly.

The stench of burning flesh and smoke filled the tiny cavern, and deep down the dragon wizard knew they couldn’t linger much longer. Though they both were not fit for travel, everything rested on this last ditch effort to save the future from  _this_.

The dragons would find them like always. It was inevitable.

“Natsu…I love you.” Lucy whispered again, head weakly shifting in his lap. The once long, golden hair was sawed off and burned at the edges, eyes sunken with exhaustion and pain. Her eyes remained closed, face buried in the scarf that served as her pillow now.

Before…it was her gag.

A quake shook the ground, freeing loose debris from the ceiling. The pink haired man payed little mind to the pebbles in his hair, letting out a low growl at the sound of a distant roar. With a steady hand, his fingers brushed sweaty bangs from his partner’s face, letting him know she was still unconscious and still just sleep talking.

The sky outside was red and smoggy, the sun not shining through in months. Vegetation was beginning to die out, only the most tasteless and versatile fungus surviving. In fact, they had just finished a fine meal of such fungus…before…

His partner’s whimper drew his attention to her right arm and what was left of it.

The raw, vibrant red flesh made his stomach curdle like old milk. Her proud shoulder curved down and lead straight down to her ribs. The arm had been completely severed, the humerus sliced right out of the socket.

Damn dragons, thinking they could do whatever they wanted.

Carelessness was a death wish in this time. One second of frozen fear would surely get a nice bite taken out of the head.

He, himself, had been pretty well off with battles. Not many creatures could top a fire dragon! But, a moment of distraction was all it took. A dragon had descended with a swipe of its talons, nearly taking the pink haired man’s head clean off.

Instead, it took Lucy’s right arm when she shoved him out of the way.

Teeth grit as Lucy whimpered again, and he settled for brushing his thick fingers through her scraggly hair in a poor effort to ease her pain.

Really, amputation and cauterization all in the span of an hour? Natsu was surprised Lucy was still alive even if he hardly ever doubted her strength.

There are somethings humans just can’t live through.

“N-Natsu…I love you.” She repeated, her body relaxing back into restless sleep.

It had been the only thing she had said since the attack. It was the last thing she told him before collapsing…after her agonized scream.

It would have been her last words to him had he not cooked the dragon before burning her wound closed.

Those screams were even worse.

All of this for some chance to travel back into the past. All of this for the small sliver of hope that they could change the past.

Because Lucy believed in it with all her heart.

Natsu breathed in, tasting the air as well as scenting, before closing his eyes. Everything was just so tiring. He was so tired and he lied to the blonde about it, but he was.

Using fire magic everyday with barely any rest? He used to be able to endure the strain but now it was fight or die. Fight, or Lucy dies.

“Natsu…I-”

With a groan he curled over her, cupping under her head with a gentle touch. With his lips by her exposed ear, he murmured tenderly. “Lucy, I know. I love you too. Now sleep.” Onyx eyes closed as his forehead pressed down on her temple. “ _Please_ sleep.”

With cautious inhales, he listened to her hum, her heart beat still racing from shock and whatever else she was suffering from. A stray breeze entered the cave, brushing hot air over her wound. That was when she yelped and squirmed fruitlessly, but Natsu couldn’t remember what he did because exhaustion swept him away in a riptide of unconsciousness before he had the chance to stop it.

 

Only to startle awake when a dragon plopped down right outside the cave, roaring hungrily as claws reached out for the pair. Gaping jaws stretched out, a hair’s length away from snagging Natsu’s arm-

 

“Natsu!” Lucy screamed, flailing up and successfully kicking the covers off of her bed. The stellar wizard only had a moment to comprehend the dark bedroom and the moonlight through her window before a force collided with her and pressed her into the sheets.

The hot and hard muscle informed her who it was, but the tremble of his muscles had her concerned. By her face, his hands gripped the sheets as he huddled low with a defensive snarl.

Seconds passed and the blonde watched numbly as he too took inventory of his surroundings before capturing her in a tight hug, his sweaty face snuggling into her neck.

His breaths were quick, if not quicker than hers. The tremble of his body matched her own.

“I…I saw it too. Them.” He whispered suddenly, keeping close even if there was no threat in sight. “I saw them too.”

Lucy stared out into the shadows of her apartment, listening to the hitched breathing of her partner. The blonde could feel the quiver of his arms in an effort to remain strong…

-but how could they both remain strong when they just dreamed of how weak they had been in a future that almost became _theirs_?


	6. Waiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst Week Prompt #3: Broken Promises/Hearts 2015  
> Broken Promises- Survivor  
> “I wanted to incorporate the song…but then I just ate both prompts.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character Death

Wine poured over her taste buds, coating her senses in the sweet but grape flavor.

Before her sat a small metal basket of untouched rolls, the standard salt and pepper shakers, a vase full of blooming roses, and the constant flicker of an unscented cream colored candle.

The cloth covering the table was pure white, matching the dainty china plates set for two. The napkins were folded so elegantly, swaddling the utensils in a totally classy way. Above, mini crystal chandeliers decorated each table, casting the restaurant into a romantic glow. Couples chattered lightly, gesturing with lively hands and happy laughs.

This night was truly for romance.

…If she had a partner to share it with.

With a sigh, Lucy tapped her french manicured nails on the wine glass, peeking to her black phone screen impatiently.

Black stilettos tapped the table leg in accordance with the rhythm she beat on the glass, hips shifting to pull her bare skin from the seat cover with a slow wince. This little black dress did its time, and now after tonight, she would put it out to pasture.

If Natsu ever came back.

With a groan, Lucy double checked and triple checked her hair, satisfied that her up-do was still in place. Cancer was the best hair stylist in Magnolia. It really did her no service to doubt him.

Especially since they both predicted what would happen tonight.

When her boyfriend called her, sounding panicked and urgent, she honestly believed he had been arrested and needed bail.

But, when he told her to be ready at six for a date, it was a pleasant twist on things.

Gathering what little spare funds she had left, the blonde eagerly went out to make sure she looked her best.

When Natsu came by to pick her up, he certainly thought so: with his dark and wanting stare and his impulsive surge of affection against her door, Lucy believed she had done well.

With the pink haired man in a tuxedo, which was a drastic shock in itself, Lucy had no issue with a little… _distraction_  before dinner. Thus, they were thirty minutes late to the reservation. But, that had little to do with her solitary wait.

Natsu, in a panic, grabbed at his breast pocket before sheepishly grinning and bolting out the glass doors, yelling for her to get their table and that he promised he’ll be right back.

An hour of waiting and Lucy was beginning to wonder.

It wasn’t like him to keep her waiting. Maybe Gray was at his house and he got sidetracked. It would not have been the first time in the three years they had been together.

Taking one last sip of wine and savoring the selection her boyfriend had requested, Lucy plucked her phone up and swiped her thumb to wake the device.

His goofy smirk appeared under her recent contacts, and with a sigh at the memory of his excitable babble about the surprise he had for her, she touched the green call button.

It rang.

And it rang.

And still  _rang_.

The blonde pouted, expecting to come into confrontation with his really annoying voicemail of Happy yowling for food while he snickered about it, blinking in surprise when the ring stopped and the receiver was filled with wind.

“Natsu? Where are you? The-”

“Who is this?” A strange and gruff voice asked, the hint of something loud in the distance.

Frowning with a furrowed brow, Lucy cocked her head to the side to prepare a quick pick of sass from her arsenal. “Uh, Lucy? Why do you have Natsu’s phone? Who are you?” The irritable tone drizzled into her tone despite her caution to keep it calm.

“Ma'am, who are you calling again?” The man asked, sounding much more polite than before.

Sighing, Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose. “Natsu Dragneel. Now who are  _you_  and  _why_  do you have his phone? I am about to call the cops, mister.” Anxiously, she reached over and grabbed the cloth napkin, freeing the utensils absent minded.

“Ma'am, I am Officer Doranbolt of the Magnolia PD.” The mysterious man said quickly before quietly whispering, “His name was Natsu Dragneel.”

Something unpleasant and burning filled her veins, her heart aching suddenly. “ _Was?_ What is going on?!” Somehow, she was on her feet, her chair toppling over with a loud thunk that shocked the other guests into silence.

The uncomfortable silence on the phone made her limbs shaky.

“Ma'am…there’s been an accident.” he began cautiously, obviously tender about this particular conversation. “A semi ran a red light…and T-boned the drivers side of Mr. Dragneel’s vehicle. He was…uh…dead on arrival.”

The words replayed in her head as the air she breathed became still. The phone slipped from her fingers, hitting her shoulder painfully before clattering down to the floor.

_Dead on arrival._

_Natsu_

_Dead on-_

Knees crumpling under her, Lucy payed no mind to the startled calls as she collapsed to her knees, staring blankly ahead.

_“Oh baby, what if he is gonna propose?” Cancer asked, snipping away at her hair’s dead ends. “I had a reliable source inform me. Honey, you gotta look your best!”_

Waiters came, trying to help her up but she just wouldn’t move. The officer’s voice echoed, now on speaker. “Miss, I need you to tell me where you are so we can have a unit fetch you. The remains…need to be identified…”

_“Just wait Luce,” Natsu purred as he wedged his knee between her legs and placed a not so chaste kiss on her neck, hands pushing up the bottom of her dress, “this is gonna be a night to remember, I promise.”_

There was a crowd around her, one of the waiters trying to get her some room. Everyone could hear the officer over the speaker. They knew what had just transpired.

_“Shit!” Natsu hissed, checking and re-checking his breast pockets. “I…uh…forgot something Luce! I’ll be right back! I promise!”_

She tasted salt with a hint of chemicals, and with one swipe of her hand, Lucy realized her mascara was running horribly.

A night to remember, he promised.

He’ll be right back, he assured.

Natsu was all about promises, just like his beloved girlfriend.

Now…all she could understand was that he left her with two broken promises…and a broken heart.


	7. The Will of a Father to his Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst Week Prompt #4: Bleeding Out/Bandages 2015  
> Featuring Natsu and Igneel Dragneel  
> “The tears kept falling like an open wound bleeding out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character Death

The annoying clicks of the heart monitor made it hard to sleep, not to mention the uncomfortable seats, the chilly atmosphere, and the constant nurse that invaded to check vitals.

Hospitals sucked. Natsu hated them even when he was admitted that one time his appendix nearly exploded.

If it were up to him, he would be outside or at home in Magnolia. There, he would be able to see Lucy, beat Gray at video games, and prank Erza.

If it were up to him, Igneel would be there too-

-not hooked up to a bunch of machines that had long since kept him alive.

The intravenous drip had been unplugged and removed hours ago, as well as the life support box. The great Igneel Dragneel was surfing life with his last remains of strength.

It was unfair for such a great man to fall so ill. It was even more unfair that no other person on the organ donor list could offer this man a worthy heart; a stronger heart that wouldn’t stop beating for many more years.

Natsu knew what it was like to lose a father, having recalled Lucy’s turmoil and Gray’s withdraw from reality when their fathers passed. Back in his naivety, he never thought on the day where his own father would slip through his fingers.

Igneel was far to powerful and wise for mortality. Natsu hardly believed the man was human: adopting an abandoned infant and raising that kid as his own.

The pink haired man was grateful. If it were not for Igneel, he would have perished in the swaddled blankets that held him behind a city dumpster. If it were not for this man’s kindness all those years ago…Natsu was sure he would be dead. He would have never met Lucy or made friends at Fairy Tail High. Natsu would have never found Happy or won that eating contest last semester.

Without Igneel, Natsu wouldn’t have had the chance to be  _Natsu_.

Now…Igneel was fading fast and did not have the chance to stay as Igneel.

Life was really unfair, Natsu’s mind reminded.

With each wheezing breath, the pink haired man could hear the extra pauses between heart monitor beeps, growing longer each millisecond in the silent room. Still, Igneel stared at him with that goofy grin, not a trace of fear or regret in those dark and wise eyes. Even in his last moments, the man continued to inspire the younger man.

“Natsu…” He whispered, his voice grating and rough from lack of use. Between men like them, words were hardly ever needed.

“I have been watching you…and my…you have grown.” He muttered, eyes soft on his adopted son’s stricken expression. Honestly, such a face should not be shown with that vibrant pink hair but, the older man decided this was not the time for teasing and starting fights.

He only had a few more moments left with this kid.

Off to the side, the heart machine began to blink, preparing to signal the too slow heart pace with loud beeps. Igneel winced, feeling the uncomfortable stutter of his organ against his ribs and the electrodes stuck to his chest.

“The days I spent with you…were the happiest in my life.”

Natsu’s dark eyes widened and pupils shriveled, mouth that was usually full of foul words slack and weak. The boy looked as if he forgot how to breathe.

“You…gave me the strength to love another.”

“Igneel…don’t you dare…don’t you fucking dare, old man-” The pink haired man hissed, fists clenching on the metal armrests of his chair.

At the threat, the red haired man just chuckled weakly, pressing a large hand to his chest at the odd clicking in his lungs. It would not be long now.

The sound of the alarm screamed, startling Natsu to stand angrily as Igneel cast the annoying device a stern scowl. With a shaky arm, the patient reached over and yanked the plug out of the wall, setting the monitor on emergency power without sound. It blinked but remained mute, leaving the two to converse in that silence once more.

“Igneel…” Natsu hissed, pink hair shadowing his eyes as he glanced to the floor, teeth grinding. “You promised…that we’d be together…that you wouldn’t go anywhere-” With a shiver of a sniffle, the boy looked into the eyes of his father with trembling lips, brows furrowed in great pain. “Don’t break that promise.”

With a slow inhale that gave the dying man a slow ache, Igneel stared back at his son with an impassive face, knowing Natsu still had more to say.

“You taught me to write…gave me the chance to make lots of friends. I even got a job, remember? A-And I’ll be graduating soon…” Tears began to trail down his cheeks, some bold enough to get caught in the corners of his mouth. Yet, Natsu continued with a single swipe of his wrist over his eyes.

“I…I…”

With grit teeth and a runny nose, Natsu gave a hitched inhale.

“I have more things I want to share with you! More adventures to go on with you!”

Shoulders trembling, Natsu stood before his dying father with the most broken and lost face. Not even the expression the lad had in those dirty blankets matched this despair. Everything, in a way, had come full circle for Igneel.

He found this boy, lost and alone, and gave him a home with a family.

He would leave this boy, confused and hurt, with all the opportunities in life.

“Do not shed tears…” The older man murmured with a broken crack in his voice. The steady waves of the monitor dropped dangerously low, making the screen now flash in panic. This patient could not be saved.

“Hey…what do you do when you’re sad? I taught you…didn’t I?”

With a shiver, Natsu nodded. “I remember…”

With a pleased smile, Igneel folded his hands on his lap. “Show me.”

His son didn’t reply for a few seconds, the soft plops of tears on linoleum tile filling the quiet air.

“I am with you…now and always…”

“Show me how much you have grown.

“Let me see how you will live your life-”

With trembling legs, Natsu said loud and firm, “I will live on…I’ll graduate with decent grades and go to college. I’ll make sure I don’t take shit from my rivals…and I’ll protect those who mean the most to me! Every day…will be a new adventure.”

With a final thump, Igneel felt his heart still. Even as fatigue tickled at his limbs, the older man smiled brightly with a proud gleam in his closing eyes. To his surprise, a warm and rough hand rested on his own chilly fingers: granting one last warm touch before oblivion.

“That’s my boy…speak of your future…” Lungs giving out, the Great Igneel felt that there was enough strength for one last thing: one last legacy to his beloved son.

“and let it become your will to live…Natsu-”

With a sigh, everything went still. Time had stopped for Igneel…and the clocks kept ticking away the moments for Natsu.

 _Tick, tick, tick_  went the clocks-

-never pausing for the loud and pained cries from the pink haired man as he rested his head on the hands of his quiet father.


	8. Stolen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst Week Prompt #5:Gone Forever 2015  
> “Has this been done? I don’t care, it will hurt twice as much”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character Death(s)

The shadow blade zipped through the air, extending past Natsu and his fingers, flying directly towards the stunned and frozen blonde. Wide eyes watched as in seconds, the black weapon sank into her diaphragm as easily as knife would to butter, splattering dark shadows along the walls and floor-

-or was it blood?

With all eyes on her, Lucy curled over, hands clutching at her clothes while they gradually dyed red and black. Her wide brown eyes stared dazedly at the floor as he mouth parted in a surprised and pained gasp.

Nearby, Future Lucy did the same, the white trim of her cloak staining red. The hood fell away, revealing the same expression as her present counterpart. Pained disbelief in the moments of confusion.

Then, they both fell like marionettes with severed strings: Present Lucy crumpling to the floor on her side and Future Lucy slamming to her knees. Lucy of this time clutched at her wound, blood beginning to bubble through her fingers as she blankly stared out past Future Rouge and the gaping Natsu, lips parting as thin trails of red slipped down her chin.

“There were…two?” Future Rouge whispered in curious delight.

Future Lucy hunched over with a whine, quivering at the painful throb of her entire existence beginning to fade. With a terrified gulp of air, the future blonde fixed a horrified stare on every face before settling on her past figure. 

“T-The future…” She whispered, tears trickling down as she watched her past self slowly gain understanding and recognition of agony.

“ _LUCY!_ ” Happy howled shrilly, frantically glancing from one Lucy to the other in panic, desperate to help but unsure of what Lucy he should be with.

After all, they were both Lucy.

Loke, with a eerie howl much like a dying lion, popped in a shower of golden sparks. Sunglasses fell, shattering on the rubble of destruction and chaos.

That part gave reality to the whole scene. Wendy clasped her hands over her mouth, eyes moist as she whispered that there was no way she could heal such a wound. Pantherlily and Charla pursed their lips, keeping silent instead of voicing their emotions. Their words would never ease the pain.

Future Lucy locked eyes with her past self, both pairs of brown eyes wide in understanding. “…your…guild mark…” Future Lucy sobbed, eyes searching and locking on the pink mark that belongs to her past. 

From afar, Natsu jolted from the memories of her, smiling and proudly displaying her guild mark when she believed he didn’t notice.

 “I wish…I could have…gone on more adventures.” She whispered, closing her eyes and fading into the air like wind clearing morning fog from the hills of Fiore.  _“Protect…the future…_ ”

Happy darted to the remaining Lucy’s side like a moth to a dying flame, sobbing as Lucy only gave a weak smile before reaching out to pet the blue Exceed. 

“Happy…please don’t cry…” She whispered, fingers threading through the soft fur by his ears.

Warm paws came to hold her hand, Happy shaking his head and snuggling into her palm. “ _I’m going to cry and be sad! You’re my friend Lucy! Both you and Future Lucy. Lucy is Lucy and I don’t want to lose both of you!_ ”

He sniffled, “ _You’re are both my comrades and I don’t want you to disappear too_!”

He was silenced into loud sobs when Lucy pulled him close enough to rest her forehead on his, stroking his soft ears and ignoring the lingering stench of fish.

Lucy was anything but stupid, even when locked in agonizing pain from a wound to her chest. If her future self disappeared…then it was far too late for her future now.

Rolling slowly on her back, Lucy grimaced at the slush of coppery liquid that bubbled from her lips. Instead of dwelling on it, she shakily rose her right hand, tearing up at the familiar pink stamp that traveled the same amazing adventures as she.

Delirium set in, but the stellar wizard could feel the stare of her silent partner, his silence telling her all she needed to know. Natsu was in shock, most likely sad and soon…he would be angry. So very angry: with her or with Future Rouge. Lucy hoped he would never turn that burning anger on himself, though the thought was likely.

“I’m…so happy…” She whispered, listening to the sharp inhale of Natsu, the whimper of Wendy, the gritting teeth of Charla and Lily, and the gulp of air from Happy. Her chest felt warm, not only from the hot blood but pure joy and content.

“I…went on so many adventures…saw so many things…” With a quiver of her voice, Happy’s paws gripped at her left arm harshly, trembling with the sobs.

With a slow turn of her head, trails of tears tickling down to her temples, she sent a soft smile to Natsu. He looked so strange with his wide and disbelieving eyes, jaw grit with the hints of rage brewing. Their eyes met, and Lucy gave a short and painful exhale of a laugh.

“…got into so much trouble too…but with my friends…I am always happy.”

It was becoming harder to breathe, the edges of her vision becoming blurry. Still, she had to get everything out. It had to be said.

“When I was with Natsu…I always had fun…” His dark onyx eyes sharpened before his head fell slightly, hair shadowing his face as his fists shook from his grip. Those sharp teeth bared in the ultimate pained sneer, but Lucy was proud she managed to say what she needed.

With a lazy drift of her eyes to Happy, she whispered: “Please…take Crux to Yukino…he has information about the gate that…m-must be heard-”

With a violent lurch to her insides, Lucy coughed, splattering her chest with red rain. Her outfit had been so pretty…so white and clean.

“ _Lucy!_ ” Wendy cried, but the blonde only blinked as the world became dimmer. “W-What a…h-horrible plot…twist-” She mused before realizing her strength was being sucked out of her quickly now.

“I…wanted to go…on more adventures but…” She whimpered as fresh tears pooled at her already glassy eyes. “I’m so happy…to have been a Fairy Tail…wizard…”

The hand petting Happy fell limp, the cat’s scream of her name hazed under a thick blanket of confusion. “P-Protect…the future…” She repeated softly, closing her eyes in hopes to clear her vision.

Only, her body grew limp and those deep chocolate eyes never reopened.

“Lucy?” Happy called, giving her a light push on the shoulder. “ _Lucy!? Lucy!!_ ”

The blonde woman didn’t reply, her face peaceful with a small curve of her lips.

“The gates will stay open.” Future Rouge said with the hint of joy at the thought, “Lucy Heartfilia is dead and with her, the future of Acnologia.” 

He took a step closer, crazed eyes locked on the corpse as dark magic pooled in his palms. “But perhaps I’ll check, just in case.”

The flaming strike to his cheek was unexpected, the force sending the future dragon slayer skidding back with quite a burned face.

Before him, centered in a raging inferno that licked at the walls of the corridor, was Natsu Dragneel. His pink hair flopped with the heat swells, eyes glowing almost red with agony and fury. The stone cracked under his sandals, tiny bits of rubble floating from the pressure.

“ _You…stole something precious to me…right before my eyes._ ”

The voice didn’t sound the same. It wasn’t the tone of the carefree and goofy fire dragon slayer. This wasn’t the Natsu that drew on Lucy’s face in marker, or the Natsu that picked brawls out in the guild.

“Lucy… _you’ll pay for taking away her future!_!!” The man snarled, veins protruding from his temples and eyes glowering daggers at his enemy. “I  _promise_  I’ll make you _PAY!!!_ ” The roar was guttural, raw and untamed. His cry…was the cry of a dragon enraged at the robbery of its most precious treasure.

Neither fire dragon nor shadow dragon commented as Wendy grabbed the sobbing Happy and Lucy’s keys, giving the blonde one last tearful look before turning to flee. Lucy had two final wishes: protect the future…and make sure Yukino got a hold of Crux.

Wendy knew Natsu could handle the wish shared between the past and future.

The little girl only hoped she could fulfill the second wish…for her fallen sister.


	9. All Things END

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst Week Prompt #7: E.N.D 2015  
> “Natsu angst? NO EVERYONE.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character Death

As everyone gathered and grouped, silently watching and waiting, the room was filled with silent screams.

Silent screams and pleads and begs played within the minds of each Fairy Tail wizard.

It was hard for every wizard to get close to the center point of the attention: the single bed in the comfortable room of the elderly home.

It was the end of an era when Fairy Tail disbanded.

It was the birth of a new one when Natsu began to draw Lucy across Fiore to bring the whole guild back together…finishing with the old Master that served as a father to them.

 

It was the dying of an era to find him bedridden…in his peaceful, final moments.

 

Makarov, in his indefinite pool of wisdom, smiled in welcome; like he waited for them to show this whole time.

There were no words to share, only glances of disbelief and confusion.

The Titan wizard, the former Master of Fairy Tail, was fading quickly now that his children had arrived.

Even the explosive fireball, Natsu, remained silent by the tight grip Lucy had on his scarf. His lip trembled, however, signaling all the words he wanted to shout.

Erza was on her right knee, forehead resting on the hilt of her sword as she knelt in silent respect for the falling figure.

Gray kept Juvia close, resting his chin on the top of her head and circling his thumb on her arm.

Gajeel placed a comforting hand on Levy’s crown, the corner of his eyes tight as he forced himself to remain collected.

Wendy and Romeo were intertwined as one, Charla resting silently on their heads.

Every member of the guild silently stood with another, feeding off the feelings shared by their nakama.

The pure dysphoric atmosphere fed into a more depressive state…everyone sharing the pain as Makarov  gave a tired sigh.

“My children. I was wondering when you’d show up.” He muttered with a groggy muse. Bony and wrinkled hands clasped at the covers, trying to conceal the quivers of exhaustion that roved his body.

He could not fool his children.

“Now…I can rest knowing that you have each other again…” He sighed softly, chuckling at the aghast expressions. “Now don’t look so glum. Every adventure must end.”

With a slow turn of his head, he smiled warmly to his gaunt grandson standing closest to the side of the bed. “My adventure ends here. I set down my walking stick. But, maybe your adventure begins, Laxus.”

The blond man sucked in a sharp breath, but the old man only turned his attention back to the group. “If this is the path you brats choose, then I know you all will be fine. A new guild, with fresh bonds that time cannot erode.”

His wrinkled eyes drooped as a lazy smile crossed his lips. The images of his children, crying and biting their lips with clenching hands, became watery and warped by his own tears.

“It makes an old man like me happy…to see his kids so grown up-” His voice cracked at the end, thickly swallowing.

No one dared call him out or protest, letting the beloved man find final peace with his loved ones. With a pleased grin much like his ones of mischief, Makarov closed his eyes and relaxed into the plush sheets. “I feel you all…lending me the courage to move on. Thank you for the great adventure…you damn brats.”

With pained eyes, the former members of Fairy Tail watched as the old man took in one deep breath…and did not inhale after a slow exhale.

Only then did the fragile glass shatter. Laxus’ hair shadowed his face at Evergreens sharp cry, Elfman and Bickslow failing in comforting her when their own emotions ran rapid.

Natsu ripped from the group, storming outside with little guessing as to what he would do in the clearing outside the quaint elderly home. His body heat was boiling, too hot to touch. But, in a wayward thought, he dragged the tear stained Lucy out as well.

Nobody mourned alone, after all.

 

_…but the next experience awaits, my children._


	10. A Day to Mourn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FT Angst Week Prompt #2: Monster/Demons 2015  
> “As someone who has lost a sister, I connect with Mira the most.”

Magnolia had never been so dark and stormy.

Not a single ray of sun managed to burst past the unforgiving clouds. Even the skies decreed that it should rain forever. Not a shred of happiness should reach this town. The townsfolk stayed indoors, allowing the admired wizards of Fairy Tail time to mourn. The job board remained empty, all posted jobs removed and none accepted on this day.

They needed work, however, and many had left on previously accepted jobs after paying respects. Elfman, included, had taken a job so soon. His injuries had yet to heal, but his wounded heart refused to let him sleep. Siblings dealt with pain in different ways, she supposed.

Natsu and Happy had disappeared as well, no doubt to the place where they used to play with-

 

The rain strengthened in intensity, nearly ripping her umbrella away. The constant sound of water droplets on cold stones surrounded her. Here, alone in this graveyard, Mira truly felt she could never heal.

The words carved on stone sat before her, soaked by water and floral arrangements. ‘Lisanna Strauss’ it read in bold letters under the proud symbol of Fairy Tail, 'beloved sister and friend to animal souls’. Below that stood the true testament of pain, 'X768-X782’

Years once filled with life. She had been fourteen. A fourteen year old girl with giggles in her voice and light in her eyes.

Mira recalled the day Lisanna had been born in X768. The smiling faces of their parents had blurred with time but Lisanna’s bright blue eyes and toothless smile stayed the same. A precious baby sister to look out for, to teach, to protect.

Standing beside her younger brother, Mira promised herself that she would protect her family. Elf was a bit of a cry baby and Lisanna had that twinkle that foretold a kind and almost naive heart. Her siblings would need her. As the oldest, Mira knew that she would be responsible to keep them together.

The woman supposed she lost that drive somewhere along the way, mixed in hormones and blinded pride. What kind of sister lets her own family die? What kind of sister cannot stop her baby brother from mindlessly  _killing_ their baby sister?

Certainly not a worthy one.

Elfman had it worse off, Mira knew. The beast was too powerful for him to control at that time. By his hands, however the situation was, Lisanna was taken.

The woman could not dare blame him. If anything, it was her fault for failing to protect  _both_ her brother and sister.

She had learned Take Over magic to protect her siblings and the town they called home, demonizing herself for the sake of their happiness.

They wandered the country when the town shunned them for her choice and found Fairy Tail, where Mira was prepared to leave and live alone just so Elf and Lis could live a normal life, safe from a demon like her.

Instead, they too learned Take Over magic and kept at her side.

What a happy time that had been.

Time had given her impulsiveness and brashness. A rivalry with Erza clouded her mind from the important task; her first reason for existing.

Now, Lisanna was gone and with her, happiness.

 

Lisanna was  _dead_ because of her failure to her family.

 

The sky did not seem to have the strength to stop crying…

…and neither did Mira.

Tears blended with the rain, sobs fading into the steady hush of the final silence.


End file.
